Grave Analysis

Many
of the later burials found in the Puruchuco cemetery on the outskirts of Lima,
Peru—as seen in "The Great Inca Rebellion"—showed signs
of having died extremely violent deaths, probably during the Siege of Lima by
the Inca. Who were these ill-fated individuals? As a bioarcheologist, I have
been examining the remains of many of these people. Here, learn what I was able
to determine about one victim's sex, age, and other characteristics by
analyzing that person's well-preserved skeleton.—Melissa Scott Murphy

1. AgeBioarcheologists
estimate the age of child and subadult skeletons based on the maturation of the
skeleton and the development of the teeth. As seen here, the growth plate
(epiphysis) of her shin bone (tibia) has not fused to the long bone shaft. The
same crack-like space appears in the upper arm bone (humerus), seen just above
the skull in the main image. In most populations, these bones fuse between the
ages of 13 and 17. I'm guessing this girl was between 14 and 17 years of
age when she died—shockingly young to perish on a battlefield.

2. SexThe
pelvis in men and women features subtle differences, largely due to the fact
that women give birth. Bioarcheologists can use this disparity to estimate
and/or determine the sex of human skeletal remains. This young individual was
probably female, because her pelvis exhibits more female traits than male ones.
One such trait is the greater width of the sciatic notch (see image); in males,
it is narrower. Several other female skeletons turned up in Puruchuco,
indicating that some Inca women fought alongside their men in the Siege of
Lima.

3. Head
woundMany
of the atypical burials recovered from the Puruchuco cemetery exhibit
perimortem (at or around the time of death) trauma to their skulls, which
likely caused or contributed to their violent deaths. For this young woman,
severe blunt-force trauma caused the fracture to the left side of her skull. In
her reconstructed skull, four fractures radiate out from the site of impact,
which is also surrounded by concentric fractures. Her skeleton showed no other
injuries. The woman obviously received a massive and lethal blow, perhaps from
an indigenous stone club.

4. TeethAll
of the victim's teeth were recovered, and her dental health was good. She
did not possess any cavities or dental infections, and her teeth showed only
slight wear. However, some of her teeth were chipped when she sustained the
blow to her cranium, and a fracture radiating across her upper and lower jaws
likely also occurred during her final moments. Though not visible here, her
third molars, aka her wisdom teeth, have not erupted into her dentition yet,
another indication of her tender age.

5. Hands
and feetThe
only bones from her skeleton that the archeological team did not succeed in
recovering were some of the small bones (phalanges) of the hands and feet that
make up the ends of the fingers and toes. Whoever buried her placed one of her
hands on her waist and the other near her chest. Both of her feet were tucked
against her legs.

6. Burial
positionIn
classic Inca burials, including the more typical Puruchuco burial seen here,
the dead were placed in a crouched, sitting position facing the rising sun, a
symbol of rebirth. By contrast, many of the atypical burials in Puruchuco were
buried facing up or even west. When interred, this woman, for instance, was
placed in a semi-flexed position on her left side. The lack of a traditional
burial hints at a possible delayed and rushed interment by a defeated and
dispirited people.

7. Mortuary
offeringsClassic
Inca burials from Puruchuco revealed offerings both within and outside of their
cloth wrappings, as seen here. Inside were often gourd containers, textiles,
foodstuffs, and weaving baskets, while external offerings included Spondylus shell, ceramics, wooden canes, and weaving implements.
The burial of the woman in the main image is remarkable for its total lack of
any mortuary offerings. She was interred with a simple cloth wrapping called a tela, but nothing else. Perhaps war parties were still
about, requiring a hasty and non-traditional burial.

We recommend you visit the interactive version. The text to the left is provided for printing purposes.

Melissa
Scott Murphy is a bioarcheologist at Bryn Mawr College who has worked in Peru,
Israel, and France. She appears in "The Great Inca Rebellion" as
one of the experts working on the Puruchuco burials.